Star Citizen’s Squadron 42 Pushed Back Another Six Months to Steer Clear of GTA 6 Release
Star Citizen seems more likely to inspire a groundbreaking documentary than to actually become a finished game. This ambitious project has amassed a staggering billion dollars from its supporters, but a recent livestream went so poorly that the presenters faced public criticism from their leader during the broadcast. Now, the single-player campaign, Squadron 42, has been pushed back yet again, with a new target of April 2027, marking an 11-year delay. The reason? Well, it turns out that the impending release of GTA 6 in November is a major factor.
This latest excuse from Chris Roberts, head of Roberts Space Industries, is quite bold. As noted by some observers, a recent update on the game’s official site from the once-revered developer of Wing Commander outlines, after a lengthy 1,600-word explanation filled with various justifications for unmet promises, that “there is no way I want to launch my spiritual successor to Wing Commander, a game that has had twelve years of blood, sweat, and tears invested into it… launching into the buzzsaw of GTA 6.”
Originally, Squadron 42 was set to debut in 2016, while Star Citizen itself was promised for 2014 after raising $2 million on Kickstarter in 2012. Now, with fundraising exceeding 500 times that initial amount, the larger project remains fragmented, existing only in disjointed parts or a limited whole that is merely a fraction of the promised scope. Meanwhile, Squadron 42 has yet to release any playable version, and that situation is expected to persist until at least “Q2 2027,” with the possibility of an even longer wait.
As someone who hasn’t poured a fortune into this perpetually delayed venture, it’s amusing to see Roberts’ latest rationale for yet another significant postponement. He claims his choice to steer clear of the GTA 6 juggernaut is in line with the rest of the industry. While it’s true that many games have shifted their release dates from late 2026 to early 2027 to avoid clashing with what is anticipated to be the biggest game launch ever, most of those adjustments were made months ago when the GTA 6 release date was confirmed. Moreover, they typically don’t apply to titles that are already over a decade overdue, belong to entirely different genres, and aren’t even playable on the platforms where GTA 6 will launch. But Roberts seems to have that angle covered.
Although GTA 6 won’t be available on PC this November, it’s clear that the gaming community and content creators will be heavily focused on it, leaving little room for other news.
With a fair degree of certainty, I can say this reasoning is flawed. While coverage of GTA 6 will undoubtedly be extensive, it won’t dominate the landscape indefinitely, and there will still be ample space for other gaming news. In fact, interest will likely shift significantly a few weeks after Rockstar’s game releases, and even more so as 2027 begins. Yet, Roberts is keen to steer clear of the competition for his space-themed, PC-exclusive title. “We have taken a look at the release windows at the start of 2027,” he explains, “and decided that Q2 provides a better time for Squadron 42 to release.”
“Q2” is a conveniently vague timeframe, covering everything from April to July, and can even extend later based on tax filing dates. For a game that, in 2024, was already eight years late and had promised a Q4 2026 release, this new timeline is rather imprecise. It’s not what you’d expect from a game that should be ready to launch if not for that pesky Grand Theft Auto.
The situation becomes even more absurd when considering the likelihood of a PC version of GTA 6. Historically, previous GTA titles have seen their PC releases about seven months after the console versions. This would place the PC launch right in—wait for it—Q2 2027. How convenient that would be for Roberts, providing yet another excuse to delay the release of his elusive game.
Who knows? Perhaps Roberts will finally announce a specific release date and deliver a game that wows the industry, leaving us all looking foolish. Or, it could go the other way.
